'Downton Abbey' Christmas Special Spoilers Revealed (PICTURES)
With its third season now officially wrapped in the U.K., many fans of the British-American drama "Downton Abbey" are eagerly looking forward to the series' upcoming Christmas Special.
Details regarding the holiday spectacular are now being revealed. The ITV network rolled out the first pictures of the show's special and gave "Downton" fans a fair warning that it may get them a bit emotional.
ITV's Director of Drama, Laura Mackie, elaborated to So Feminine about the reported tear-jerking Christmas show.
"This is one episode you will want to see live with millions of others - and best have the tissues ready," she said.
Scheduled to hit the U.K. airwaves on Christmas Day at 9 p.m., the Christmas episode will show the Crawley family in unfamiliar territory, as they make the trek to Scotland to visit their cousins.
Bates, Anna and O'Brien aside, most of the servants will stay local while Lord and Lady Grantham, Dowager Countess Violet, Lady Mary and Lady Edith head to Duneagle Castle. In the love department, Edith and Mrs. Patmore are said to experience some romance. However, the primary plot will focus on the story of Lady Rose, who was sent home in season three's last episode upon having an affair with a married man.
Mackie, who along with the series' creator Julian Fellowes are currently in preparation for the show's fourth season, came clean to the U.K. site about what lies ahead for "Downton" fans.
"Viewers can look forward to more drama, comedy, love, hatred, jealousy, rivalry, ambition, despair and romance," Mackie said.
Production for the next season of the popular series is scheduled to start at Highclere Castle in February of 2013. "Downton Abbey's" latest installment will reportedly include eight new episodes that are slated to be shown on ITV in the autumn of that same year.